


This love, it is a distant star

by naughtyniffler



Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (2013), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Brave AU, Disney AU, Disney Princess AU, F/M, Frozen AU, Tangled AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 14:59:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11164287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naughtyniffler/pseuds/naughtyniffler
Summary: Despite the fact that it's summer and they should theoretically have better things to do, Merida's parents are trying to get her to marry a man she does not want to marry (she doesn't want to marry anyone, in fact).Flynn, her co-counselor, has developed a considerable amount of apathy towards the dating scene, which really only completes his bad boy persona. He also thinks it's a great idea to prank the campers. This is guaranteed not to go over very well at all.Kristoff helps run an animal sanctuary. He doesn't have much of a direction in life—until Merida asks him if he would consider bringing some of his rehab animals to camp, because her campers have deemed her 'not fun' and 'too strict'.And Rapunzel, Merida's roommate and best friend, is trapped by the fact that she is currently heiress to a massive company, and she has absolutely no need, ability, or desire to take it on.A Disney modern AU.





	This love, it is a distant star

**Author's Note:**

> I don't write fanfiction (except the one other work I have on here).
> 
> But I had to do something Disney, and I thought... why not post it on here, in case others might enjoy it? Basically throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks.
> 
> Don't even talk to me about the title. I am not remotely creative. I do love the song, though.

"...and his father has a background in _law,_ you wouldn't _believe_ it—"

Merida heaved a long-suffering sigh and switched her phone to the other ear as she turned on the stove. "Mom."

"...he could make connections for you if you ever _did_  decide to get that degree—of course, business is admirable too—"

Merida rifled through the kitchen cabinets. Really? Rapunzel only got the oriental flavored ramen? Then again, Merida was a grown woman living on ramen, so who was she to talk. "Mom," she attempted again.

"All I'm saying is _one_  date wouldn't be the end of the world—"

"I like being single." She checked the water, turned up the heat, and bumped the silverware drawer shut with her hip. "We've been talking for"—she looked at her phone—"forty-two minutes. Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Your father—"

"I am not speaking with him right now."

"Oh, Mere, I just wish you'd—"

"Yeah, we all do," Merida replied exasperatedly. "I don't need a man, Ma." The water was boiling; she opened the plastic package with one hand and sent the noodles tumbling in. "I have to go. I'm making dinner."

"Dinner dinner? Or ramen?"

"Goodbye," Merida said decisively, and hung up. Then she checked the clock: Rapunzel _said_  she'd be home soon, but "scatter-brained" didn't even begin to cover it when it came to that woman's timeliness. Sighing, she drummed her fingers on the edge of the counter for a moment, watching the noodles cook, before giving her roommate a call.

* * *

Flynn Rider was a bad boy. Always had been, always would be. He wasn't _looking_ for trouble; it was just that a lot of things in life were boring, and _someone_  needed to do something about it. Pranks, suspensions, complaints, just a _brief_  stint in jail... it was all part of his irresistible charm.

Right?

This particular night he was plotting. Camp had just started for the kids, and he and Merida were the head counselors this year. Merida ran a bit of a tight ship and blew everyone's socks off with her archery skills, which (obviously) left it up to Flynn to make things _fun._ Including pranks. So he went to his spot in the attic, huddled over his scratched up wooden desk with a flashlight hanging off the beam above him, and brainstormed. This had to be elaborate, and funny, and perfect for the opening week. Call it a grand entrance.

"Great," he muttered when he finally glanced at the clock. He would now officially be late to his date, but if he was being honest, he wasn't very interested in the girl anyway. Sooner or later the novelty of finding a 20-something year old with a troublemaking streak and a devilish smile would wear off, just as it had done with every single girlfriend he'd had since middle school.

Still, chivalry wasn't dead. Flynn, figuring that it was better late than never, shoved his notebook back into the drawer and headed for the door, scooping up his wallet and keys on the way out.

* * *

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Kristoff called as his last volunteer waved goodbye. They were good workers, these kids—adolescents, as he was corrected—but part of him was so protective of his animals that he would really rather run the entire operation singlehandedly. However, there was no shortage of wild animals needing rehabilitation, and with high-maintenance Sven the reindeer and the amount of cases they'd been taking on recently, Kristoff and the entire animal sanctuary had their hands full.

Glancing around furtively to make sure he wasn't on the security camera (ridiculous, since he was assistant manager, but he wasn't technically exempt from the rules), Kristoff whistled casually as he smuggled a carrot into Sven's pen.

"Guess feeding time's technically over, buddy, but here's something for you," he said fondly, patting the reindeer on the head. His phone buzzed; Sven jumped. "Relax," Kristoff said in amusement, and reluctantly checked his messages. 

_Got a new bear on the way. Can you stay late? 10 or 11?_

A bear! Kristoff beamed. Was it odd that he'd be excited about an injured wild animal arriving at 8pm on a Friday night? Probably. In his defense (or not), he had always had a soft spot for animals. His parents used to go on snowy retreats to Maine, where he preferred to play in the snow with his friends' dogs while everyone else went skiing.

_Absolutely,_ he texted back with a grinning emoji.

"You ready for a new playmate?" he asked Sven, who snorted somewhat indignantly. Kristoff frowned and scratched the reindeer on his head. "Oh, don't be like that. Come on, give me a smile." He received a spectacular dirty look instead as Sven finished the last bites of his treat. Typical attitude from the reindeer, who'd been bursting with personality from the moment he stepped hoof into the sanctuary. "Guess it's just you and me now," Kristoff said.

They had at least two hours to kill, so after a moment of consideration and mental inventory (all the other animals were properly cared for) he grabbed his uke from the office, then slipped back into the pen. Sven sat down with a thump. Smiling, Kristoff leaned up against the reindeer's side and began to play.

* * *

"Is this about the ramen?" Rapunzel asked immediately when she picked up the phone.

Merida sounded disgruntled. "You couldn't have gotten beef or chicken?"

Rapunzel sighed from her seat on the public bus. "You already ate all the beef and chicken." 

"Why would you get all beef and chicken, and one oriental?"

"It's better than shrimp," Rapunzel answered patiently. "Anyway, you're acting hangry. Just eat the oriental, you barely notice the difference."

There was a pause. Then, "My mom called again."

"Oh no," Rapunzel bemoaned, grimacing. "How long?"

"Forty-three minutes."

Rapunzel glanced up briefly as a preoccupied looking young man boarded the bus. He was suspiciously attractive, the sort she steered clear of, and despite wearing date-worthy clothes something about him still struck her as very rumpled. She uttered a noise of indignation when he brushed past and accidentally knocked her off kilter.

"Rapunzel?"

Rapunzel blinked. "I'll cook you something, then," she offered.

"Fine," Merida acquiesced. "Sorry, horrible day at work."

"You and me both," Rapunzel replied as the bus slowed and she stepped up to the front. She gave the bus driver a cheerful wave and mouthed  _thank you._ "I just got off the bus. I'll be there in ten minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay, love you!"

"Have you seen my archery bow?"

Oh, her roommate was ridiculous. "Love you too." Rapunzel hung up as the bus went on its merry way. For some reason, she could have sworn she saw the mystery guy looking at her... but she was probably just hangry herself. With a little skip in her step—Rapunzel had one of those dispositions that somehow made it incredibly difficult for her to stay in a bad mood for long—she put in her headphones and headed home.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you would be interested in more. I really wanted to do an AU Merida, and I wanted to give her a love interest I was familiar with, so I went with Kristoff. As much as I love Anna.
> 
> Is characterization going to be on point? Probably not, but that's partly because it's an AU, and these characters are inspired by the originals, not meant to perfectly mimic them.


End file.
